We are looking at starting to build a garden plot for next year. It will be decent sized, maybe 15’ X 20’ enough bigger. It will have an 8’ fence around for the deer population. I am seeing mixed reviews on using old railroad ties. What are you all using? Bonus points for pics!
I use yellawood for my raised beds also called ground contact lumber/ pressure treated. Pressure treated wood is no longer treated with arsenic and is safe to use for veggie gardens. I’d stay away from really old pressure treated wood or any other wood of unknown origin (like wood pallets). You could use cedar, more expensive but should last longer. You could also go the metal route, that’s become popular. FWIW my pressure treated beds lasted at least 10 years, ymmv.
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unopened bags of concrete mix would work, these have been used for “temporary” retaining walls for several decades, At first expected to be replace the walls have been kept in place.
This wall of stacked bags of concrete was built in the 1980s and still looks the same today
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You would want to line the sides of railroad ties with plastic, you don’t want those chemicals in the soil and then in the veggies/fruits.
Treated lumber is a better option, whether 4x4s, or stacked 2x6 or 2x8 boards. I’d still line the inner walls with plastic, just to prolong the life of the wood.
Length of beds is up to you. Width entirely depends on whether you’ll be able to walk around to the other side. If yes, then 4’ is fine, but if not, then 3’ is probably the max you can easily reach to the other side.
4x4 beds make it easy to rotate crops for those that need it - tomatoes, for example. Or, whatever size, in whatever number, fit that space. You just need multiple beds for pretty much any veggies you’re going to grow (except maybe greens).
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These blocks are easy to use with 2x6 lumber. I’m allergic to permanent infrastructure anymore, I like things I can disassemble and move around.
Around here the bermudagrass gets into the beds and all you can do is get out the big tiller and start over to get ahead of it again.
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The blocks are a great compromise-- sturdy, attractive, easy to assemble yet portable.
We used 2 x 12 cedar boards-- they’ve held up beautifully in our very, very wet conditions here in the SW WA area. We will have to replace the bottom boards on our two oldest beds after 10 years! That’s pretty long lived for wood in the PNW. We lined the bottom with very heavy plastic or layers of cardboard/paper. I wish I’d done metal mesh instead…damn you, voles!
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Due to my clay soil I have used raised beds for 30 years. The first ones I built were with untreated 6x6, I still have one of those. No rot, just needs to be repainted. I moved the others due to trees growing up and providing too much shade. 
A bit more disposable money so the new beds were made from pressure treated 6x6’s. I can walk around so mine are 4’ across. We built a strawberry bed out of used 3x12’s, that bed is 5’ across.
For Christmas one year hubby bought me a small tiller so I can till inside the beds instead of having to turn the soil with a shovel. yay.
For years I had hoops set up over one bed so it functioned somewhat like a greenhouse.
Raised beds do require more water than an in ground garden but in many ways they are easier, IMO
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This is what I do at school and they have lasted well. We use the Square Foot Gardening book as a guide. Of course I am using them as a teaching tool but good plans are good plans.
Forgot to mention that I fill the beds with a mixture of leaf compost, topsoil, composted manure and sand. I don’t till so as not to disturb soil structure. It’s cheaper to buy in bulk if you can find a good source. I also add compost from my compost tumbler at the time of planting. If you have trouble with ground critters you may want to line the bottom of the beds with wire mesh. If you’re worried about weeds or grass, you can line the bottoms with cardboard. It will break down over time and the worms and bugs will still be able to do their work.
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I just redid mine this spring using old rough cut 1x6 oak boards my neighbor had in his barn. Odd lengths, not fence boards. I made 4x8 beds and bricked the paths in between with free bricks. The previous beds were decking boards put in by the previous homeowner and I bet they lasted 15 years. I’m sure the oak will eventually need to be replaced but that’s ok. And, by no means perfect carpentry but I enjoyed doing it.
Here is a picture from mid May. I need to shoot a new one. Looks like a jungle and you barely see the beds.
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I used galvanized beds from Northern Tool: https://m.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200746833_200746833. I’ve been really happy with them.
O.M.G. you have nooooo idea what you have just done for my life!!! Tytyty!!!
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I had a garden bed with those blocks last summer and they worked great! They didn’t make the move a couple weeks ago so I need to get more.
My dad did his greenhouse beds with sheet metal (roofing) enforced with lumber; they are working really well too.
This is a wooden bed I really like for strength and versatility. The videos are bit frantic but you can skip to the 12 minute mark to see final product in the first one. Second video has detailed plans.
